I am looking at buying a 1999 Nissan Sentra with 90k miles through an auto broker for $2500 (according to kbb, that is wholesale price). It is a one owner vehicle and pre-sale inspection came back glowing (seriously, everything was marked “ok”) with one exception; an oil leak at the front crankshaft oil seal.
The guys at Firestone said the leak could just be the crankshaft seal (no biggie) or it could be coming from inside of the engine, not visible from a pre-sale inspection. If it is internal, I could be looking at $1200+ to get it fixed (other stuff like replacing the timing chain would be included).
Considering the low price and everything else on the car being great, should I buy the vehicle for $2500 even if I have to spend an extra $1200 to get it fixed? Is there an option I am not considering?
Mumbo-Jumbo…Oil that is leaking past the front main seal is coming from inside the engine. If there is no noticeable oil on the ground under the car, the leak is minor and can be ignored until it becomes a problem. How many miles on this car? The big issue is the condition of the automatic transmission. THAT will cost more than $2500 to rebuild should it fail. THAT’s the gamble you are taking, not a minor oil leak…